


Stranded

by janey_p



Category: No Fandom, Original Work
Genre: Adventure, Challenge Response, Drabble, Gen, Islands, Shipwrecks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-30
Updated: 2014-12-31
Packaged: 2018-02-19 08:55:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 25
Words: 2,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2382446
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/janey_p/pseuds/janey_p
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>They sat on a boulder on the beach, looking out over the ocean that glittered in the fading light.</i>
</p><p>5 people, stranded on a remote island. See how they cope in a story told in 100-word chapters.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LuxKen27](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LuxKen27/gifts).



> This is for LuxKen27's [2014 Summer Mini Challenge](http://luxken27.dreamwidth.org/748151.html).  
> I joined the fun late - as always - and got only 2 tables done before the deadline, but this time I'll keep going until this thing is done. I already have notes for all but 3 of the prompts and since I write exactly 100 words per prompt, it shouldn't take me all that long to finish.
> 
> Originally posted on [LJ](http://janey-p.livejournal.com/tag/stranded).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Table 1, prompt 1: sunset peach

It was such an awful cliché: They sat on a boulder on the beach, looking out over the ocean that glittered in the fading light. When Heather had been younger, she had scoffed at the idea of watching a romantic sunset – and here she was, doing just that.

Then again, while the sun was coloring the few clouds in the sky in pretty yellow, orange and red hues, there was nothing romantic about their current situation. In fact, they weren’t even watching the _sunset_ ; they were watching the horizon for anything that could be a ship coming to rescue them.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Table 1, prompt 2: hope

Hope dies last, they say. But it was hard not to stop hoping when you had to witness the third ship pass without investigating the smoke signals coming from “their” little island. All three ships had been nothing but tiny dots in the distance, however. Had they just been too far away to be noticed?

They had been stranded for almost two weeks now. The sun was scorching them. Water was becoming harder to find because it hadn’t rained in days. And they had to compete with the local wildlife for what little food was available.

God help them all!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Table 1, prompt 3: tempt

On their nineteenth day on the island, they found a nest with five decently sized eggs.

“One for each of us,” said the youngest of their group – a boy of barely sixteen years. But just as he reached for one of the eggs, his father pulled him back.

“Hey,” he cried indignantly, trying to free himself from the tight grip. “You’re keeping me away from our dinner.”

“I’m keeping you from getting bitten,” the man hissed and shook him.

Only then did they all see the snake, slowly inching towards the nest. Suddenly, the eggs were not so tempting anymore.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Table 1, prompt 4: saucy

They had a routine: There was always at least one of them – preferably two – who walked along the shore to look for ships. The others either looked for food and water, slept or waited for their turn at watching. All but one of them took those duties very seriously.

Victoria – “Miss Rutherford to you” – was a rich girl who deemed the work to be beneath her. She was often found in their camp, trying to make the others do her bidding. If they complained, she only had a saucy smile for them and some more orders. It was immensely frustrating.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Table 1, prompt 5: fearfully

The storm hit the island at night and caught them unprepared. All around them the wind howled, and there was nowhere for them to hide: They couldn’t go near the shore, because the waves crashed into the rocks with far too much force. They couldn’t go further up the slope either, because there was the forest, and the trees were already creaking ominously. So they tried to find shelter in a small cave that would keep them out of the rain, at least. There they sat, clinging to each other fearfully and prayed that they would survive the night unscathed.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Table 2, prompt 1: coral blush

Dawn found them all exhausted. The storm had subsided some time during the night, but they hadn’t dared to leave the cave. Now, in the rosy-tinted light of the new day, they were glad that they hadn’t, because strewn all over the shore lay the remnants of a ship.

“Now we can leave,” said Samuel. The young sailor looked at the wreckage with something akin to joy.

Heather dared to ask what they all were thinking: “You do know that the ship is broken, right?”

Samuel rolled his eyes. “Obviously. But now we have the material to build a raft.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Table 2, prompt 2: doubt

Samuel’s suggestion brought on a round of protests from Richard – the teen’s father – and, of course, Victoria. While the others understood Richard’s worry for his son, they rolled their eyes at Victoria’s reasons. God forbid she’d break a nail helping to build the raft or get a sunstroke while out on the ocean!

Samuel tried to assuage their doubts: “I don't think there’s much risk. The ship didn’t sink last night because this kind isn’t in use anymore. But the planks are still in good condition, so there has to be land nearby. Another island, at least. Let’s find out!”


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Table 2, prompt 3: hold

“How do you figure there’s land, just from looking at the planks?” Jeremy asked while they worked on binding the planks together.

Samuel knocked on the wood he was holding. “This here… it’s weathered but still strong. It would have started to rot, had it spent the last years at the bottom of the sea. And I don’t think so much of the ship would have ended up here if it had been transported for many miles.”

The teen smiled at Samuel. “That’s good enough for me.”

They heard an unladylike scoff from Victoria, but Richard nodded and kept working.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Table 2, prompt 4: wicked

Two days later, they were nearly finished with their work on the raft. They decided to test its seaworthiness after a good night’s sleep, before adding the last details. Excitement kept them from having a truly restful night – and yet, none of them were prepared for what they found in the morning.

The pitiful remains of the raft lay on the shore, the mast broken and the ropes loosened. They stared at each other in turns, trying to determine who would be wicked enough to destroy their own hard work.

And then they heard something rustle in the nearby bushes.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Table 2, prompt 5: boldly

Richard reacted fast: Before the others had even had a chance to identify the rustle as out of place, he was already sprinting towards the noise. There was a shout, there was a struggle, and soon after he dragged something, no, _someone_ out of the bushes.

It was a man, dressed in what looked more like rags than clothes. There was a mad glint in his eyes. And even though he was outnumbered, he stared them all in the eyes, ignored their questions about his name and where he came from, and declared boldly: “You won’t leave this island alive!”


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Table 3, prompt 1: royal blue

Since they hadn’t been able to get any relevant answers from the man, and they couldn’t afford a saboteur among them, they had tied him to a tree and started to repair the raft.

Sadly, he’d been able to get rid of his gag – and now they were treated to his tales of a hidden treasure that he was supposed to guard: with gold en masse and gems as blue as the tropical sea. He taunted them with riches within their reach that they’d never find because he’d never tell them the hiding place.

They ignored him and kept working.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Table 3, prompt 2: moment

It was a rainy day when they finally declared their raft repaired. But despite the bad weather, the ocean was calm – calm enough to at least launch it. They definitely weren’t going to wait for the morning, this time. Who knew what the mad guy would do? He might be bound, but he was staring at the raft with a calculating glint in his eyes, so they weren’t going to chance it.

This was the moment of truth: Samuel and Richard pushed it into the water while the others watched with bated breaths.

If it floated, they’d be leaving tomorrow.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Table 3, prompt 3: play

It did float!

They all had a rather unpleasant night, though. One of them guarded the raft, another the crazy man – and none of the others could sleep, because the guy kept on shouting his incoherent tales from dusk to dawn.

When the sun rose over the horizon, he went back to telling them how they all would die, playing with their fears. For once, everyone agreed with Victoria when she suggested just to leave him there. Anything to get away from him. Their relief was strong enough to silence any guilt they might have felt about leaving him behind.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Table 3, prompt 4: decadent

Once they had left the island, all their hopes lay in Samuel and his ability to navigate. And, of course, they prayed his estimate of the direction the shipwreck had come from was correct. They had enough food and fresh water with them to last three days – four, if they were careful. But it meant they’d have to go back to the dreaded island if they hadn’t found land at the end of day two.

They were nearing that point now, and while they tried to ration their provisions, they dreamed of their homes and the comparatively decadent _regular_ dinners.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Table 3, prompt 5: incredibly

Richard had been arguing with Samuel about returning to the island for half an hour already when Heather suddenly jumped up and made the raft wobble precariously. About to scold her for her sudden move, they stopped upon seeing her expression.

“Sorry,” she said sheepishly, but then her excitement won. “I think I just saw land, over there.”

“You _think_?” Victoria asked snidely.

“Well, excuse me…”

“She’s right; there _is_ land ahead,” Samuel interrupted what could have easily become a nasty squabble.

There were no words for how incredibly relieved they felt as they approached the shoreline on the horizon.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Table 4, prompt 1: lime green

It took them another six hours to reach the land. By that time it was almost dark and they decided to set up camp on the beach for the night. No fire, Richard demanded, not even to dry their clothes. After all, who knew what was beyond the treeline?

Their paranoia kept them from getting any restful sleep that night and all of them were glad when dawn broke: Now they’d be able to look for a better-protected place for camp.

Half an hour into their exploration they found something unexpected: A finely crafted necklace decorated with bright green feathers.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Table 4, prompt 2: risk

The necklace was proof that other people had to be near. Considering that the feathers were all still intact, it couldn’t have lain on the ground for long. And Richard had found footprints a little further down the track that were still fresh. They decided to follow the prints to see if they had managed to find civilization.

“It _has_ to be here somewhere. I still had it before we went back.”

They froze as they heard someone nearing their position and hastily hid in the bushes. They wouldn’t risk being seen before they knew if those people were friendly.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Table 4, prompt 3: eat

It turned out that there were more than twenty people on this island – explorers, if they were to be believed. At the very least, they were good at finding not only things but people, too. The ones who had been looking for the lost necklace had spotted the five hidden castaways within seconds.

The explorers insisted they _were_ friendly and that they should be followed to their camp. Since the five had no other viable options – and they were promised as much properly cooked food as they could eat – they decided to trust the strangers and hope for the best.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Table 4, prompt 4: temporary

They soon found out that the explorers had been granted a month to map the island and to search for any signs of prior inhabitation and useful resources. At the end of that month, a ship would come to bring them home. And their fourth week was almost over.

While the explorers got busier every day, wanting to get as much done as possible before they had to leave, the castaways were relieved that their stay on yet another island was only temporary. They stayed away from the people bustling in and out of camp and counted down the days.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Table 4, prompt 5: softly

Despite the explorers spending every waking minute with cataloging all their findings, Victoria had somehow managed to become friends with the expedition leader. The others supposed it was the obvious influence and the familiar arrogance of the rich that had drawn her in.

Jeremy had started to join some expeditions for very different reasons. One evening, he told his father that he wanted to become an explorer himself because there were “so many things out there to be discovered”.

A little later, Heather and Samuel sat on the beach, reveling in the softly blowing breeze. This time, it _was_ romantic.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Table 5, prompt 1: slate gray

None of the explorers were happy to leave – quite unlike the other five, who wanted nothing more than to go home. Jeremy might dream of future expeditions, but those should happen on _his_ terms, not as a result of a shipwreck.

As excited as they had been to be back, they arrived in port on a gray and rainy day. After the tropical weather they’d been used to on “their” island, this was a rather depressing welcome. And nobody was waiting for them because their families didn’t even know they were still alive. Would they be shocked about their return?


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Table 5, prompt 2: secret

Since none of them had any money, the explorers insisted on making sure they’d be able to get home safely – but it would take a while to arrange for their transportation. So the five spent one last evening together.  
  
Before they parted ways that night, Richard lowered his voice and said: “We’ll never tell anybody about what happened with the mad man. For all we know, leaving him tied to the tree has killed him by now.”  
  
Thinking about the consequences of somebody finding out that the man died because of them, they agreed that it would remain their secret.


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Table 5, prompt 3: love

When they parted ways the following morning, Victoria left with the expedition leader, Jeremy was carrying a recommendation letter from the group for the capital’s university, and Samuel promised Heather he would look for a land-based job and come visiting soon.

They’d all made connections, knowing they’d stay in contact somehow – whereas Richard wanted nothing more than to finally get home to his wife. Sure, he’d had his son with him during their “adventure”, so he hadn’t felt as alone as the others, in the beginning. But he had missed his love and was glad he’d see her again, now.


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Table 5, prompt 4: favorable

They didn’t remember who’d had the initial idea, but exactly one year after coming home, the five of them met again. There had been many changes in their lives – some favorable, some not so much.

Samuel and Heather had gotten married four months earlier and were getting by on their little farm.

Richard had had a hard time paying for Jeremy’s university courses, but felt that his son’s happiness was reward enough.

And Victoria’s parents hadn’t approved of her involvement with the expedition leader, and when she had insisted, they’d disowned her. She had yet to regret her decision, however.


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Table 5, prompt 5: dubiously

Jeremy was indeed the happiest of them all. He was one last semester of courses short of being allowed to participate in the next big expedition. In less than a year, he said, he might already be on a ship again.

While Victoria could understand his excitement to some extent – due to her fiancé’s similar interests – she stared at him just as dubiously as the others when he told them of his grand plan: Wanting to go back to “their” island to see if any of the mad man’s words had been true sounded like a bad idea, after all...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It is done!!! And I managed to keep my self-imposed deadline, so that’s something. :D  
> I could have finished with more than just about 2 hours to spare until the new year, had I posted the chapters as I finished writing them... But I totally forgot about that until now. Oops? Good thing that I remembered just in time... ;)
> 
> You might think that the end of this chapter (and therefore the story) is a bit abrupt. But keeping with the 100 words per chapter, I just couldn’t manage a less open end. I might add to the story with some sort of epilogue some time in the future, if I ever figure out how. On the other hand, there’s always the chance for a sequel. The next Summer Challenge could be the incentive I need. ;)


End file.
